Ink injector ball point pen



13% 1953 A. B. RAPPAPORT INK- INJECTOR BALL POINT PEN Filed Aug. 20.1956 INVENTOR.

Aaron B. Rappaport ATTO RN E372 United. States Patent 2,866,439 INKINJECTOR BALL POINT PEN Aaron Rappaport, New York, N. Y.

Application August 20, 1956, Serial No. 604,937

3 Claims. (Cl. 120-424) The objects of the invention are to increase thesupply of ink in a ball point pen, to provide a permanent ink reservoirin such a pen, to insure a continuous flow of ink through the ballpoint, as well as to enable the replacement of the ball point when it isworn out.

In accordance with these objects, a ball point pen is providedcomprising a tapered writing head having a ball point assembly removablysecured in its lower end, the writing head being threaded into the lowerend of an outer tube or casing. An inner tube has its lower endconnected to the writing head to conjointly form therewith a largecapacity ink reservoir, and manually operable means are associated withthis inner tube to increase the air pressure in the reservoir to forceink through the ball point assembly in the event of temporary stoppageof ink flow. When the ink supply is exhausted, the ball point assemblyis removed and an ink refill container secured in its place forinjection of the new supply of ink from the container into thereservoir.

In one embodiment of the invention, the air pressure increasing meanscomprises the inner tube, as a cylinder, and a piston slidably mountedin the inner tube and having an operating plunger projecting from theouter cas ing, the piston and plunger being biased outwardly. Depressionof the plunger forces air through an apertured partition intermediatethe ends of the inner tube into a small diameter tube extending into thewriting head.

In another embodiment, the inner tube is flexible and closed at itsouter end. A plunger projecting through the side wall of the outercasing is secured to an elongated rigid strip engaging the inner tube sothat pressing the plunger squeezes the inner tube to increase the airpressure in the reservoir.

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made tothe following description of typical embodiments thereof as illustratedin the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an axial sectional view through one form of pen embodying theinvention; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification.

Referring to Fig. 1, pen comprises a writing head 11 which is taperedtoward its bottom or outer end and has a ball point assembly 12threadedly secured therein to project therefrom. Ball point assembly 12is in communication with an ink reservoir formed, in part, by the hollowinterior 13 of head 11. An outer casing or tube 14, preferably ofplastic, has its lower end threaded onto the upper end of head 11, andthe rounded upper end of tube 14 has a control opening 15 therein. Tube14 may have a reinforcing 16, preferably of metal, surrounding itsthreaded lower end, A suitable cap (not shown) may be placed over thewriting end of pen 10 when the latter is not in use.

In accordance with the invention, the other part of the ink reservoir isformed by an inner tube or cylinder 20, preferably of plastic, integralwith a metal ring 21 threaded into the upper end of head 11. An annularring 22, having a central aperture, is secured within tube 20intermediate the ends of the latter, and a small diameter tube 23 hasits upper end threaded or otherwise secured into the aperture in ring 22and extends down wardly into head 11. Above ring 22, tube 20 has anaperture 24 in its side wall.

' A pumping rod 25 is disposed in tube 20 with its upper end normallyprojecting through opening 15 in outer casing 14. The lower end of rod25 seats on the upper end of a frusto-conical or tapered coil spring 26whose larger diameter lower end seats on ring 22, and a pin 27 limitsoutward movement of rod 25. A piston or washer 30, preferably of leatheror similar material, is secured on rod 25 just above side aperture 24 oftube 20, and the rim of washer 30 has a sealing fit with the innersurface of tube 20. t 1 Y The described construction operates in thefollowing manner. Should there be a stoppage of ink flow through ballpoint assembly 12, rod 25 is pressed inwardly. As washer 30 movesdownwardly past air inlet opening 24, air is forced through the centralopening in ring 22 and downwardly through tubing 23 into the inkreservoir. The increased air pressure in the ink reservoir forces ink toflow through the ball point assembly 12 thus eliminating the flowstoppage.

When the ink supply in the reservoir is exhausted, assembly 12 isunscrewed from the writing head and the nipple of a flexible walledre-filling capsule is screwed intothe lower end of head 11. By squeezingthe re-fill capsule, the large ink reservoir, formed conjointly by theinterior 13 of head 11 and the tube 20 below ring 22, is re-filled. There-fill capsule or tube is then removed and assembly 12 is replaced.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, identical parts have been given thesame reference character and like parts the same reference characterprimed. In this embodiment, outer tube 14' has a side opening 31 throughwhich projects an operating button 32 on an elongated metal bar 33. Bar33 extends along and engages the side wall of a flexible inner tube 35,of rubber or similar material, having a closed upper end and a flap airinlet valve 37. The lower end of tube 35 is integral with a hollow metalunit 34 threaded into head 11 and having a tapered tubular extension 36extending downwardly into head 11.

In this embodiment, ink stoppage is corrected by pushing button 32 toforce bar 33 inwardly to compress tube 35 thus increasing the pressureof the air in the ink reservoir.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the inventionprinciples, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What I claim is:

1. A ball point pen comprising, in combination, a tubular writing headtapering to a lower end; a ball point assembly secured in said lowerend; an outer tube threaded onto said head and having an openingtherein; an inner tube having a lower end threaded into said head andformed with an annular partition intermediate its ends; a tubularextension engaged in said partition and projecting downwardly from saidpartition into said head to a point adjacent said assembly and spacedfrom the inner surface of said head; a piston slidable in said innertube above said annular partition and operable, upon movement towardsaid partition, to force air through said extension to increase the airpressure in said head to force ink to said ball point assembly; andoperating means for said piston projecting through the aperture in saidouter tube.

2. A ball point pen comprising, in combination, a tubular writing headtapering to a lower end, the upper Patented Dec. 30, 1958" inner tubehaving; a lower end. threaded into, saidheadand formed with an annularpartition intermediate, its ends, the inner'surfaceofsaidzinner tubebeingfiush with the, innersurface of said: head; a tubular: extension.engaged in said partition and projecting, downwardly from;

said partition into said head to a pointtadjacent. said assembly andspaced from theinner surfaces of said head and inner tube; apistonslidablein said inner tube above said annular partition.- andoperable,upon movement toward. said partition to force: through. said,extension to increase the air pressure, in said head. to forceyink to,

said, ball point assembly; and operatingrneans for said pistonprojecting through theaperture in said outer tube.

3. A ball point pen as clairnedcin claim 2 in which said outer tube hasan outer end closed except for a central aperture therein; and saidoperating means comprises aplunger rodin said, inner tube above saidannular meme.

ber, means biasing said rod outwardly through the aperture in the outerend of said outer tube, said piston being secured on said rodintermediate the ends thereof, and an air inlet in said inner tubebetween said piston and said annular member.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,408,256 Florman Sept. 24, 1946 2,502,866 Lust 2 Apr. 4, 1950 2,560,810Morris July 17, 1951 2,618,239 Tefft Nov. 18, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS443,771 Italy Jan. 3, 1949 834,820 Germany. Mar 24, 1952

